N.C. lawmakers heed constituents on action in Syria

Representing local districts, Jones and U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., both have come out in opposition to proposed action in Syria

By Molly Parker Molly.parker@starnewsonline.com

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones said during a meeting Tuesday of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that of the more than 415 telephone calls and 1,000 emails he's received from people in his district, 97 percent were against action in Syria. "I had even Marines to call … to say please register me as a ‘no' for going into Syria," Jones, R-N.C., told the committee. His district includes the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station and the Camp Lejeune Marine base, and Jones said he represents more than 65,000 retired military personnel. Representing local districts, Jones and U.S. Rep. Mike McIntyre, D-N.C., both have come out in opposition to proposed action in Syria. Both cite staunch opposition from their constituents. The committee meeting in which Jones participated included testimony from Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey. Jones' office provided a video clip of the meeting.Jones posed several questions to the trio, asking what constitutes success for the strikes, and what contingency plans are in place if others take aggressive action as a result of the strikes. "Do we really believe Hezbollah, Iran, Russia will simply stand by and watch?" he asked. Dempsey responded, saying, "We believe risk of retaliation is low. We can't drive it to zero." Jones also questioned whether innocent people in Syria could die as a result of the strikes. "Innocent people in Syria will be killed. Is that an assumption I can assume would be correct?" Jones asked, to which Dempsey responded: "You can make that assumption because war is an imperfect science, to be sure." Still, the general said the collateral damage classification would be low, and offered to brief Jones in private on exactly what that meant. Late Tuesday afternoon, McIntyre also released a statement in opposition to military action in Syria. His previous statement on Syria stated that it was appropriate "that any potential military response be discussed with and debated by Congress." After briefings this week, McIntyre said he cannot support action in Syria for four key reasons: "The civil war in Syria is not a direct threat to our national security; neither the U.S. nor our allies have been attacked; a military strike does not resolve the ongoing conflict in Syria and the Middle East, and the consequences are too unpredictable; and the overwhelming majority of the citizens of eastern North Carolina have expressed their strong opposition to military action in Syria." McIntyre said the important constitutional question to be answered regarding the country's potential involvement in a foreign country's civil war is whether such action meets the threshold of endangering our national security. "After a careful review of the current situation and an analysis of information provided through several sources, including top secret briefings, it is apparent that humanitarian and diplomatic assistance, including a review of potential international control of Syrian chemical weapons, is appropriate, but I will not support a military strike against Syria.…"Jones said previously he would vote against a proposal to authorize U.S. military intervention in Syria. "The reality of America's dismal fiscal situation is that any money spent to bomb Syria will be borrowed from overseas or will be taken from the Defense Department's already-shrinking budget, resulting in even fewer resources for Eastern North Carolina military installations. Neither of these options is acceptable," Jones said in a previous statement.